They paved paradise and put up a parking lot   With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot   Don't it always seem to go   That you don't know what you got till it's gone   They paved paradise and put up a parking lot      They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum    And they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them   Don't it always seem to go   That you don't know what you got till it's gone   They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot      Hey farmer, farmer, put away your DDT   I don't care about spots on my apples   Leave me the birds and the bees   Please   Don't it always seem to go   That you don't know what you got till it's gone   They paved paradise and put up a parking lot      Hey now, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot   Why not?      Listen, late last night, I heard the screen door slam   And a big yellow taxi took my girl away   Now, don't it always seem to go   That you don't know what you got till it's gone   They paved paradise and put up a parking lot      Well, don't it always seem to go   That you don't know what you got till it's gone   They paved paradise to put up a parking lot      Why not?   They paved paradise and put up a parking lot   Hey, hey, hey   Paved paradise and put up a parking lot      I don't wanna give it   Why you wanna give it   Why you wanna giving it all away?